Cash Isa easy-access rates are climbing - but the headline deal is not always the best choice

Savers are being tempted by a string of attractive easy-access cash Isa deals, but the best-looking rate is not always the smartest option.

Providers are going all out to appear near the top of best-buy tables, often by advertising eye-catching rates that come with tight conditions.

Common catches include introductory bonuses that expire after 12 months and limits on how often you can withdraw money.

Some of the most generous offers are available only to new customers.

Others are inflexible, meaning you cannot take money out and put it back in during the same tax year without using up part of your £20,000 annual cash Isa allowance.

If you are happy to accept those conditions, the deals may still be worth considering — but read the small print first.

I do not include these accounts in my Star Buys table, but I do flag up what is available.

Here are the leading offers, depending on how you want to open the account and how much flexibility you need.

Trading 212 offers the highest rate at 4.87 per cent. The app-based account is available only to new customers.

It includes a bonus of 1.27 percentage points for one year. The account is flexible, but it is not suitable for transferring in an existing cash Isa because you would only receive the underlying 3.6 per cent rate.

Ecology BS's new Double Access Cash Isa pays 4.65 per cent and can also be opened by post. However, next November the money will move into the society's standard cash Isa, where the current rate is 3.05 per cent.

Withdrawals are limited to two a year, with the allowance reset on January 1. It is not flexible, and existing Isas cannot be transferred in.

Hargreaves Lansdown's online Cash Isa pays 4.52 per cent. You can transfer in other cash Isas, but the account is not flexible.

Vida's Double Access Isa 2 online account pays 4.36 per cent and allows only two withdrawals a year.

If you want a flexible account with no withdrawal limits or bonus conditions, Ford Money's Flexible Cash Isa has just increased its rate to 4.21 per cent, up from 3.79 per cent last month.

On the high street, Nottingham BS pays 4 per cent on its flexible Annual Allowance Isa. It is flexible, but existing Isas cannot be transferred in.

Family BS offers 4.1 per cent on its Market Tracker Isa, available online, by post or at its Epsom, Surrey branch.

The account promises to match the average rate of the top 20 accounts, but it is not flexible. Existing cash Isas can be transferred in, but not online.

Lloyds bond pays interest upfront

I am used to unusual twists in savings products, but this one is new to me.

Lloyds Bank has launched a one-year online fixed-rate bond with a difference.

The rate is not particularly strong, at 4 per cent, with an extra 0.2 percentage points for Premier current account holders.

But instead of waiting until the end of the term, savers receive their interest at the start.

The bank says its research shows customers want access to their interest sooner while keeping their savings locked away for the full year.

One thing to watch is tax: the interest is paid in the current tax year rather than the next one.

If you want to get the most from your savings, it still pays to compare rates carefully and move money to a better deal where appropriate, as well as use a cash Isa to help shelter savings from tax.

This is Money's best buy savings tables are independently compiled by savings expert Sylvia Morris and the This is Money team. They are updated daily and highlight the top accounts with FSCS protection.

And don't forget to sign up for free email savings alerts to hear about new best-buy rates first.

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